T Nation

This Thing We Do

Over 35 Lifter
#1

Decided to take the plunge and start my own thread. Why? There’s just not a lot of people out here we can talk to about this thing we do. There are even fewer who understand why we do it. Not real sure if I do. Been posting on a couple of other threads. Compete in Master’s Track and Field and Highland Games. Started lifting, again, 2 years ago so I could throw the shot put and discus farther. Problem is I keep getting stronger but my shot and discus aren’t improving proportionally. Recently added some plyometrics to try and get the old explosiveness back.

Currently teaching myself the hammer and weight throw. Tried the javelin, sucked. Not flexible enough. This year I’ve changed from the glide in the shot to the spin. Do pretty basic lifts directed mainly towards throwing. Can’t squat because of past injuries but do a lot of leg presses and machine hack squats. I’ve entered 2 push/pull competitions (bench/deadlift) and really enjoyed them. Since I began reading this forum I’ve come across a lot of new terminology I’m not familiar with.

I’m 52, did 30 years in the military and I’m a mailman. As of yesterday I’m 6’2" and weight 235. As I said in another thread I don’t take any supplements, not on any meds, and addicted to coffee. I’ve got a walking mail route and try to swim at least once a week. That about covers my aerobic activity. Not really worried about my appearance and haven’t had any reason to worry about my health.
I’m making some pretty good hints to Ms Santa about a digital camera/recorder for Christmas so I may be able to post some pictures eventually.

Yesterday, Chest (Medium)
Bench
135, 225, 275 warmups
315 5x5 sets
Incline Bench
135, 185 warmups
225 x 5 x 5 sets
Hammer machine Incline
90x12, 180x12, 240x10, 270x8
Straight arm flys
40x10x4 sets

Close grip bench
135x12, 185x10, 225x8, 245x6
Cable Tricep Extension
150x10x4 sets

#2

Hi, I’m 51 and a currently serving in the military in Canada. I’m not a sportsman but I try to stay in reasonable shape.

My first thought in reading your post is that your priority is sports performance and appearance is not important but your routine is a bodybuilding routine. It seems to me that you need to work on power. That seems to me what you are lacking. A program of Olympic lifts would be a big help.

I assume you have been reading Dan John. He has a lot of stuff on his site for people like you. here’s his site in case you don’t have it. You should read everything on it.
http://danjohn.org/

Stu

#3

take out at least one if not both days of swimming and do the shot put.

#4

stu/airtruth

I’ve been getting ready for an upcoming push/pull meet so I’ve been working the bench and tris pretty hard. That was my medium chest day. Cleans/press are today, Legs/back the next. Next bench day is heavy and then I do a light day working on speed. Inclines are for the shot, flys for the disc. I throw shot and disc twice a week at a local college. Swimming is after throwing. Helps loosen me up. I’ll increase throwing and decrease the lifting as the season gets nearer. My power cleans definitely will never be confussed with a real C&J. Problem with my cleans is putting the weights down. Can’t drop them and I’m killing my traps putting them down.
BTY Stu, back in the old “dew line” days did a lot of work with the Canadians at NORAD in Cheyenne Mt.

#5

Welcome Bro!

I don’t know allot about shot or highland games (That sounds allot like heavy’s space to me) but I’ll support the hell out of ya! My hats off to anyone who still wants to push the high iron and compete! I’ve done some time in the military as well, 20 years USAF. Powerlifting for a number of years, coming back off an injury now…

Welcome again! I’ll keep checking in on ya!

#6

Today shoulder’s/bicep

PowerCleans
135wu, 185x4, 205x3, 225x2, 245x2
Cleans from floor
225x2, 255x2, 275x2
Clean/Press
225,245,275

Standing military press
135xwu, 155x8, 185x6, 205x3
Seated dumbbell press
50wu, 65x8x3

hammer curls
50x8x4 sets

I really hate to do biceps

#7

Welcome…keep this thread going; it only adds legitimacy to this site!!! People wanna see what ‘normal’ people their age are doing, not some inflated BS. BTW, I hate biceps too!
Art

#8

Today
Leg/back day;
Disclaimer: I can’t squat. Can’t get my left arm/hand hehind the bar. I’ve tried every stretch there is. Left shoulder won’t pivot back that far. Same reason I can’t do BTN presses that all shot putters seem to love and recommend. Reason I only enter Push/Pull meets.

My attempts at front squats have only resulted in a bruised adam’s apple. The gym I use doesn’t have any of the safety bars (where you hold the 2 prongs in the front). I may have to invest in my own.

Hack squat machine
90wu, 140x8, 160x8, 180x8, 230x8
Incline Leg press
200WU, 400x8, 490x8, 580x6, 670x6

Deadlift
135wu, 225x4, 315x4, 405x3, 455x2, 475x2x2
Hypers
20@bwx2
Hammer machine front pulldowns
90wu, 180x8x4
Bent rows
135wu, 185x8, 205x6,225x4
Shrugs
225xmax x3

#9

Welcome hel320!

#10

[quote]hel320 wrote:
Today
Leg/back day;
Disclaimer: I can’t squat. Can’t get my left arm/hand behind the bar. I’ve tried every stretch there is. Left shoulder won’t pivot back that far. [/quote]

I think you got a very good suggestion early in the thread, suggesting Oly lifts. As for squats, there is a contraption called a “manta ray” or something like that which could help you with your pivoting problem.

I have to confess I have never used one. My problem is with a shot hip (51 and limping:-). Do a forum search…

TQB

#11

hel,

I also want to encourage you to do Oly lifts. I think that the explosive nature of them could really improve your throwing. Try to get a few Oly lifting lessons from somebody if you can. www.goheavy.com is the forum you need to go to (it specializes in Olympic lifting and most everybody who is anybody in Oly lifting posts there)and ask if there’s somebody in your area who can teach you the lifts.

#12

TQB and entheogens,

Thanks for the input. HT put me on to a source for the “manta ray”. I may have to give it a try. Went to www.goheavy.com. Really good info. Most throwers are really into Olymic lifting. I think I fooled myself into thinking if I got my bench up high enough I’d throw far.

My first love is throwing and I may have have to concentrate on it and drop the push/pull meets. No one around here does any real olympic lifting but the internet has vids of everything. Time to re-think my training program.
Think the gym staff will notice when the weights hit the floor?

Blessed with some beautiful weather here the past couple of days so I threw the shot and disc today.

#13

Welcome. Im 36 and wished we had some kind of games like you do over here in Texas. I would just love to compete in Track and Field again. But anyhow, I spoke to my oldest son, and he told me that their throwers at the high school do alot of explosive lifting with bands attached to the barbell as well as to a dumbell. He said that they do powerlifting training from “Westside Barbell”.

And as their strength increases, the bands get them to explode hard and fast from the get go. Not sure if this makes any sense, or if you have already messed around with bands. I myself use them on my speed day. And my powerlifting numbers have jumped like never before.

But anyhow, welcome and good luck to ya.

#14

Bands = www.jumpstretch.com but you can get them Cheaper at http://www.elitefts.com/

There are allot of people who have used the Westside template for training, it was “The next big thing” in PL because it works. Find your way over to the Strength sports forum and Bear has a whole thread devoted to it. Or just read the fourms on Elitefts…

I like it because it freaks people out to see the chains and bands come out of the gym bag! HA-HA

#15

Should have been a heavy bench day following the same routine I’ve been following for 2 years. Decided it was time to try some new stuff to get my throws out there.

Not even sure of what to call some of this:

Cleans to sitting on a bench, then standing
135x8x3sets
Cleans with back to a wall/deep squat, then stand (concentrated on balance/weight over heels
135x6x3sets
Over head squats (deep but had to use a really wide stance to get there)
135x6x3 sets

Not real coordinated on some of these lifts but I’m going to give them a try for awhile

Press and release bench on a smith machine (scary at first, not a real hard push, getting use to catching)

135x10x4sets
Incline dumbbells 75x10x4sets
Bent arm flyes 55x8x4 sets

theonekaos,
It is required that all shotputters make at least one pilgrimage during their life to Texas to pay homage to the paast greats. This is the state that produced Dallas Long, Randy Matson, Randy Barnes, Mike Stulz, Michael Carter.

Seriously though, Master’s T&F starts at 35 years old (you’re in). The world’s farthest discus throw in my age group last year (50-54) was done at a meet in Lubbock and the second farthest shot put was at a meet in Amarillo.

If you really want to get back into competing start checking www.masterstrack.com around Feb. It gives a pretty good listing of meets by region and state. Also shows rankings by event and age for past years so you know what kind of times/heights/distances are being done. Beware, you get addicted real quick if you start back competing.

#16

[quote]hel320 wrote:
Cleans to sitting on a bench, then standing
135x8x3sets
Cleans with back to a wall/deep squat, then stand (concentrated on balance/weight over heels
135x6x3sets
Over head squats (deep but had to use a really wide stance to get there)
135x6x3 sets

Not real coordinated on some of these lifts but I’m going to give them a try for awhile
[/quote]

Dont be shy about going light on overhead squats. Especially if you are thinking about doing snatches, dont go too wide. Better to lower the weight and do them right.

Coordination is a big part of those lifts, so it’s normal that you would be a little rough with some of them. It ain’t easy but you’ll get there.

#17

Now that my usual routine is in disaray I’m going to sit down Sunday and try to map out a plan based totally on throwing. I’ve already figured out I’ve got to back off on some of my favorite lifts and re-structure which lifts I do on the same day. Also need to put the ego up (for a little while) as I’m a novice in some of this stuff. That being said:

Yesterday:
I’ve always been very tentative doing any lower back exercise fast, i.e., deads, hypers, stiff legged deads. This ain’t necessasrily a bad thing but it isn’t leading to the explosiveness I’m after. So:
Deadlift
135wu, 185x8, 225x8, 315x6, 355x5
All done as fast, but as smooth, as possible
Hypers
10 w/25 lbs x 3
Hammer machine front pulldowns
90wu, 180x8x4
Bent rows
135wu, 185x8, 205x6,225x4
Shrugs
225xmax2

today:
swimming. 50 meter sprints, smoked the competition (my 4 year old grandson)
Carb overload: Chuck E. Cheese

#18

Christmas time, a Monday, and I’m a mailman. Finally got to the gym about 8:00 last night. Still haven’t figured out exactly how I’m going to structure my new routine. I could definitely fell the cleans to sitting I did the other day. Felt them higher up my legs.

PowerCleans
135wu, 185x6, 205x4
Cleans from floor
225x1x6
Clean/Press
225x1x6

Standing military press
135xwu, 185x4x3
Seated dumbbell press
50wu, 65x8x3

seated alt db curls
45x8x3 sets

#19

Those are some great numbers for cleans. Looks great!

#20

Hey hel, glad to see you got your own thread going, and as I expected you are well received by the guys in this section.
I thought about your “explosiveness” problem, especially since I experienced the same problem my senior year in college when my weights hit huge numbers but my throws were still only inching ahead. I knew I was in trouble when my punch distances were only three feet behind my full glide distances. BTW I do wish I had learned the spin, it had just been “invented” by Brian Oldfield back then.
Anyway, two things did help the last couple of months and got me close to my goals. I did a lot more sprinting-mostly 40’s, plus 100 yard uphill sprints (same as stadium steps but easier on the knees.) And then secondly, I just did what I should have done much sooner, TONS of technique work, focusing on MAINTAINING YOUR TORQUE. A visiting coach (I didnt have one) told me after a meet, “Son, you’re stronger than all my guys, but they outthrow you because you lose all your torque in the transition from mid circle to board.” Wow, think about that. The act of getting your lower body to position at the board, while keeping your upper body back and coiled to the max is THE KEY to explosiveness. You can modify your lifting all you want, but if you arent doing this part right, you’ll still have the same problem. Hope this helps… Doc